WWE WrestleMania 29: 5 Roles for Ric Flair

Last Monday night on WWE Raw: Slammy Awards, Ric Flair made a surprise return to WWE. Speculation is running rampant about whether this is a one-time deal or if Flair will be a consistent character on the show starting in 2013. 

Either way, Ric Flair provided an additional spark to a show that has been improving vastly over the past few months. His confrontation with CM Punk was a dream scenario, and his interaction with The Shield gave them a push in the right direction.

With WrestleMania 29 seemingly around the corner, it makes me wonder if Ric Flair will have a role on the show. If he does, what will that role be? 

In this slideshow, I will continue my WrestleMania 29 series by giving you five possible roles for "The Nature Boy" Ric Flair moving into the year 2013 directly into WrestleMania 29.

Manage a WWE Superstar to Superstardom

One of the major theories for Flair's return to WWE is having him once again help groom a young, up-and-coming superstar to WWE stardom. A dream scenario would be to pair Flair up with someone like Dolph Ziggler, but I don't necessarily think that Dolph needs a manager.

During the 2012 Slammys, Flair seemed to develop some kind of friendship with Kane, Daniel Bryan and Ryback. If you look at Ryback and the aura that surrounds his character, it is eerily similar to the early days of Batista.

While the role in managing Ryback would be different than the role Flair had in Evolution, a pairing with Ryback could allow fresh, creative segments with Flair acting as the mouthpiece. 

If Ryback is to achieve a huge moment at WrestleMania 29, Ric Flair would be a viable option to help him along the way.

Additionally, with WWE seemingly dipping into developmental (NXT) to bring talent up to the main roster as of late, it is possible that Ric Flair could be given the reins on a brand new professional wrestler to mold. 

Flair has done a great job in the past as a professional wrestling manager and this could be the most popular scenario for The Nature Boy.

New Raw General Manager

In 2001, Ric Flair made his first appearance on Monday Night Raw since 1993 by announcing that he had bought the stock in the company that was sold by Shane and Stephanie McMahon. Flair foiled the plans of Vince McMahon and became the co-owner of WWE.

As a figurehead, Flair provided many memorable and fun moments. Over the past few years, the role of WWE Raw General Manager hasn't been nearly as consistent as it used to be. Considering that Vickie Guerrero is currently in only a managing supervisor role and not the permanent GM, the door is wide open for Flair to step into the position.

Next year at WrestleMania 29, the list of talent that will be competing on the card is one of the largest of all time. Ric Flair would be the perfect guy to set the wheels in motion on booking some of the biggest matches in WWE history.

With The Rock, Brock Lesnar, CM Punk, The Undertaker, John Cena and others at his disposal, there would be no doubt in my mind that lasting memories would be created.

Special Guest Referee

It just wouldn't be WrestleMania if there wasn't at least one special guest referee on the show. The only two time WWE Hall of Fame superstar would be a pristine candidate to fill the role in MetLife Stadium.

Many wrestlers at WrestleMania 29 will have extensive history with Flair. Whether it was the matches Brock Lesnar had with Flair in 2002 or the past WrestleMania 20 tangle he had with The Rock, there are many stories that he could be instantly inserted into.

However, the foreshadowing may have happened during Flair's return to Raw to present the Slammy for "Superstar of the Year." Assuming that CM Punk will have a major match at WrestleMania 29, there is always the possibility that WWE was giving us an idea of what may be taking place in the future.

As seen in the picture, Flair served as special guest referee in a huge match between Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Undertaker 10 years ago at Backlash 2002. 

Anything is possible in WWE.

Restart a Stable

I'm not saying that Ric Flair will walk into WrestleMania 29 as the leader of a new Four Horsemen or Evolution, but if history tells you anything, Ric Flair knows how to bring a group of wrestlers together and make them matter.

While this is not much different from the managerial role I mentioned earlier, Flair can mold young superstars into something more than they were previously. With the WWE machine behind a hot, new stable, Flair could be the anchor that helps get it the credibility it deserves.

Considering The Shield and 3MB are two heel stables that have been recently formed within the WWE Universe, it would not be shocking if Flair lead a face stable into battle at WrestleMania 29. 

Wrestle a Match (Hopefully Not!)

I doubt that anyone wants to see this happen, but if you have been a fan of professional wrestling over the years, you realize that retirement is never really true to the word.

Although Ric Flair coming out of retirement for one last WrestleMania match is highly unlikely, I wouldn't say it is impossible.

With this being one of the biggest WrestleMania's of all time and a potentially huge payday, we can't take the possibility off the table. 

Thanks for reading and please comment below to discuss this topic with me!

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